


Ice & Verses

by Ilsa13



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Real Life, Slow Burn, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-04-17 16:51:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4674191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilsa13/pseuds/Ilsa13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Can friendship withstand the passage of time? (AU) [ON HIATUS]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

    The house was full of people dressed in dark clothes and for a moment she thought all of them were crows. It contrasted  with the luminous sun-rays splashing through the open windows. She could see the sad way in which everybody present looked at them, making her feel like one of those stranded dogs she had seen on posters and adds. Their mournful voices also travelled to her ears: 'poor little things', 'what a disgrace', 'why is life so unfair?' Sitting on the well known colorful rug of the living room, she was supposed to be entertaining her two-year-old little sister, a chubby redhead bread roll who was trying to get her attention by chewing her dear stuffed snowman. In another situation it would have bothered her and she would have snatched the teddy from her quickly, but not that day.  
    Aunt Liv, dressed in a navy blue vaporous skirt below the knee and a short sleeve white blouse, walked over to where they were and squatted on her also dark blue heels. She had a remarkable resemblance to her mother's features, although her hair color was not as brunette, and she had a lot more freckles than her mother ever had.  
    "Elsa, how are you doing honey? Are you taking care of Anna?" She put a hand on her head and caressed the platinum hair gently.  
    The five-year-old girl nodded while looking at her.  
    "Good," the adult woman praised affectionately. "Are you hungry? Do you want something to drink?" She glanced at the ginger haired toddler, who kept biting the snowman.  
    Elsa shook her head. "When are Momma and Poppa going to come back?" she asked instead.  
    Aunt Liv sighed sorrowfully. "Elsa, we've already talked about this. Mom and Dad are not coming back, they're now in Heaven watching over us," she said as delicately as she could. "Uncle Greg and I will take care of you from now on."  
    The ice blue eyes of the little girl dampened and the adult woman felt her heart break. She got on her knees and hugged her, kissing her head multiple times. It wasn't the first time Elsa had asked that question and Liv knew it wouldn't be the last.  
    "It'll be alright, baby. We love you both very much and we will take very good care of you." She cleaned the silent tears of the girl’s colored cheeks. "Don't cry honey. If Anna sees you're sad then she'll be sad too." Elsa nodded and brushed her eyes with her small fists. Then she embraced her Aunt.  
    "There, that's much better," the woman said stroking her blonde hair. "I have to take care of a few things, but when I finish I'll be with you and your sister, okay?"  
    Elsa nodded again.  
    "Call me if you need anything."  
    The fair little girl felt one more kiss on her forehead and then saw her Aunt stand up and leave.

* * *

  
_Two months later_  
  
    She was sitting on a large sand colored sofa pretending to watch cartoons on television, her stuffed snowman right next to her. Many things had changed in a very short period of time. She had to say goodbye to her Grandma, her nanny, her pre-kindergarten friends, her teacher, her dog, her house, the city she had been born in... She had never travelled on a plane before, but now she had crossed the Atlantic ocean. She used to be familiar with her neighborhood and her surroundings, and now the new environment felt alien to her. She was accustomed to the cooking of her mother, and now she had to be content with whatever Aunt Liv was able to make. Her father used to read to her at night before going to sleep, and now she didn't want anyone to read to her anymore.  
    The doorbell rang and she jerked her head towards the hall. Aunt Liv appeared quickly.  
    "Elsa, can you come please?"  
    Reluctantly, she grabbed her snowman and got down from the sofa. She walked in the direction of the greeting voices. Aunt Liv had let in an adult slender woman with chestnut colored hair dressed with casual clothes. A redhead boy, dressed in a t-shirt and short pants, accompanied her.  
    Both of them greeted her Aunt warmly, the two women embracing strongly, while the boy looked at her with an indecipherable look on his green eyes.  
    "Elsa, this is Mrs. Westergard, a good friend of mine, and this is her son, Hans. They are our neighbors."  
    The woman crouched, laying one knee on the floor. "Hi dear, nice to meet you", she said with a bright smile. "Did you have a good flight?" She seemed to expect and answer from her, but Elsa remained silent and looked at her Aunt.  
    "Elsa, say something, she’s talking to you," Aunt Liv told her encouragingly. However, the  girl didn’t heed.  
    Mrs. Westergard stood up, downplaying what was happening. "Don’t worry, I understand," she mentioned sharing a look with her friend. "I only want you to know," she said looking at Elsa again, "that we live there," she pointed to the house that could be seen through the right side entrance windows. "If you ever need anything, you can come without problem."  
     _"Can I go watch TV already?"_ the little girl asked her Aunt in Norwegian.  
    The two guests showed surprised faces when they heard the foreign language.  
    Aunt Liv sighed, nodding with her head. _"Yes, you can go."_  
    Elsa left without giving a second look to the strange people that were in the house.  
    "I’m sorry, Sophie," the hostess apologized. "All of this is being pretty hard on her."  
    Mrs. Westergard reassured her friend that everything was fine, that there was nothing to apologize for. "Hans, go with Elsa while I talk with Liv. Remember what I told you," she said with a meaningful look. Her son nodded and disappeared towards the living room.

* * *

  
    In the kitchen, the two women set to prepare some coffee. They both knew each other for a little bit more than a year, when Liv and her husband had moved to that neighborhood looking to have their own family. They had gotten along very well since the beginning, despite Sophie being eleven years older than her friend. Both couples had shared lunches and dinners at each others’ houses as well as different activities both the men and the women on their own.  
    "How are you holding up?" Sophie asked setting up the plates and the cups her friend had taken out from the cabinet.  
    "As best as I can," Liv confessed resting her hip against the countertop and slumping her shoulders. "These last two months have been very difficult, so many things had to be done. The funeral, all the paperwork from my sister and brother-in-law, obtaining the custody of the girls, emptying the house to prepare it for its sale… We haven’t finished yet, but hopefully we will by Autumn. I was thankful I had my mother and Agdar’s brother there to help me."  
    "How’s you mother?" She took the teaspoons from the drawer while her friend tended to the coffee maker.  
    "Broken. No mother should ever lose a child. I think taking care of the girls is what kept her going, but now that we are not there I’m not sure how she’s going to cope. I know she’s tough, like Idun always was, but this has been a big hit for all of us. I’ve told her to come live here in the US with us, because I don’t like the idea of her being alone, but she doesn’t want to, and I understand her. Oslo if where she has always lived and she likes it there."  
    "I see. You’ll have to be on top of her and call her often to make sure she’s fine."  
    "I know," she said nodding.  
    "And the girls? Everyone accepts that you and Greg are going to raise them?"  
    "Yes. There wasn’t really much discussion about it. It would be too much for my mother to handle and Jarle already has three kids," she said referring to Agdar’s only older brother. "We were the best option, and frankly, I love the girls dearly, I want them with me." Liv’s light blue eyes dampened at the thought of Elsa and Anna being orphaned.  
    "Hey…" Sophie said approaching her friend and taking her hand. "It’s going to be okay, Liv. I know it’s hell now, but with time it will hurt less." Liv knew Sophie had also lost a sister some years ago, so she comprehended what she was talking about. "What you’re doing for them is wonderful and they are lucky to have you."  
    "Thank you," she replied trying to hold back the tears. "Greg has been very understanding. All of this was very unexpected and knowing we have one under way," she touched her little swelled belly, "he doesn’t mind that there are going to be two more members in this family. It’s going to strain us financially for a while, but I think we’ll be all right, if I don’t loose my job of course," she finished with a concerned voice.  
    "You’re not going to loose your job, Liv," Sophie said to cheer her up. "You’re good at what you do and they need you."  
    "But I’ve taken too much time off and I’m worried that when I go back I’ll find someone else in my place. I don’t even know how am I going to take care of Elsa and Anna during the summer. I’m going back to work next week and I haven’t even started to look for a nanny yet…"  
    The coffee was already done and the older woman approached to serve it. Liv went to get the milk from the refrigerator, as she knew her friend liked her coffee with it.  
    "C’mon Liv, you can leave them with me. You know I work from home and that I have Hans."  
    "But I can’t ask that of you," resisted the light brunette pregnant woman.  
    "Of course you can. What are friends for? I want to help you, specially after everything you’re being through. Besides, I think it will be a good distraction for the three of them. Hans gets bored because he doesn’t have his older brothers around that much now, so I’m sure he’ll welcome it."  
    Liv looked at her friend seriously.  
    "Are you sure?"  
    "Yes, I am," Sophie answered with a warm smile.  
    Liv agreed, thanking her friend with a hug and telling her that she would owe her a ‘big one’.

* * *

  
    Hans walked into the living room and found Elsa seated on the right side of the sofa. She looked at him once and then continued watching the television screen. The boy decided to border the low wooden table to sit on the other side, his mind replaying what her mother had told him an hour earlier.  
  
     _"Hans, today when we go to Mrs. Callahan’s house, you’re going to meet her nieces, Elsa and Anna. They’ve come all they way from Norway." The mother, who was seated at his son’s dark green desk in his room, on a swivel chair of the same color, grabbed the globe that was on top of it, a Christmas present, and turned to show it to him. "Do you know where Norway is?" she asked._  
_The red haired boy stood up from his bed and went towards his mother. He rotated the sphere, his emerald eyes shining by the challenge, until he pointed one place up close to the North Pole. "It’s here, in the north of Europe," he replied._  
_"That’s right," she confirmed. "Do you know what the capital of Norway is?"_  
_He thought for a moment. "Oslo," he stated._  
_"Yes, that’s correct. You’re very smart, honey" the mother praised smiling. She focused her attention again on the globe. "The two of them have come from Oslo, crossing all the Atlantic ocean," she marked it on the circular surface with her index finger, "to Chicago, to live with their Aunt," she explained._  
_"Why?"_  
_"Because their parents died," answered the mother._  
_"Died..?" A frown appeared on Hans’ freckled face. "How?"_  
_"In a car accident."_  
_There was a moment of silence._  
_"That’s very sad," he said almost in a whisper looking at her mother. The concept of death wasn’t unfamiliar to him, for her Aunt Olivia had passed away a couple of years ago. He remembered the experience as a dark cloud that didn’t let the light of the sun go through. Her whole family had been affected by it, specially her mother._  
_"Yes, it is. How would you feel if Dad and I died?"_  
_He got nervous by the thought of it. "Sad… lonely… lost… I would want to cry."_  
_The woman put the globe in its place ._  
_"Well, that’s how Elsa and Anna are feeling right now. I want you to behave and be nice to them. They’re suffering a lot and everything here is new to them. They don’t know how life is lived here and they don’t have any friends, so we need to help them, okay?"_  
_Hans nodded, understanding. "Alright."_  
  
    Save for the movement of her eyelids she looked like a statue with her gaze fixed on the cartoons. Hans didn’t remember meeting someone so… fair. Her skin was a lot paler than his and his was already very light colored. The same with her hair, it was of such a light blonde tone that it was almost white. After only several minutes in her presence, she already felt enigmatic to him. He wondered what was she thinking. Probably something sad by the seriousness of her expression.  
    "Hi, I’m Hans," he introduced himself looking at her from the other side of the large sofa.  
    The little girl ignored him and kept to her quiet stance.  
    "Was that Norwegian what you spoke before?" he tried with a different subject, tilting his head a little while he observed her. She was wearing a navy blue and white dress with a matching headband and shoes. Her teddy snowman was seated right next to her, making her more company than he was.  
    He looked at the television screen. "Tiny Toons are fun, right?" he asked, glancing at her once more. He could tell she had heard him, for she looked at him from the corner of her eyes. Still, he had no answer back. That didn’t relent him, quite the opposite. The more she acted as if he wasn’t there the more he wanted to get a reaction from her.  
    Suddenly, he decided to try something different. He approached her on the sofa and picked up the fluffy snowman. He turned it around in his hands, so it was facing her, and grabbed the brown sticks that were the snowman’s hands.  
    "Hi, I’m Olaf, and I like warm hugs," he said with a deeper tone of voice moving the plush toy.  
    Elsa’s blue eyes finally paid him attention. She showed a small smile on her lips.  
    Encouraged by that reaction, Hans kept speaking. "I also like Summer. Do you like Summer?" he continued in the same fake voice.  
    Elsa nodded and smiled more.  
    Glad that she wasn’t seeing the television screen anymore, he dropped the childish facade, returning the teddy snowman to her. "I’ve seen the movie and it’s very good. Olaf is funny, right?" He saw the girl nod again. Hans thought for a moment before continuing. "I especially liked the Queen’s powers. I wish I could have them, they’re better than Spiderman’s."  
    "I’m the Snow Queen," Elsa blurted with determination.  
    Hearing her voice startled him, but he smiled. She was finally talking.    
    "You are?" he said not convinced, playing along. "Then show me."  
    Elsa raised her arms and moved her small hands in front of her for the _imaginary_ magic to come out.  
    "Oh, that’s very pretty," he complimented when she finished, looking in front of them as if there was an ice creation in the middle of the living room. "Can you make something bigger?"  
    Elsa nodded smiling and put her hands to work again in a different direction.

* * *

  
    The two women kept talking in the kitchen for some time until they finished drinking their coffee. Sophie asked if she could see Anna, and so Liv took her to the room where the two-year-old toddler was taking a nap. However, as they walked through the hallway, which had open spaces connecting to the living room, she came to a full stop, her eyes on the two kids on the sofa.  
    "What’s wrong?" asked Sophie also looking at Hans and Elsa, who were talking at that moment.  
    "Nothing," said Liv reprising her footsteps.  
    When they reached the bedroom, they got closer to the recently bought crib and saw Anna sleeping face down.  
    "That’s the first time I’ve seen Elsa smile in days," whispered the Aunt with her eyes on the sweet strawberry blonde.  
    "Oh, you know how Hans is, he can charm anyone," she mentioned smiling and also admiring the sleeping child.  
    They became silent for a few seconds, until Liv spoke again.  
    "While I was in Oslo, I was so busy taking care of everything that I barely had time to realize that I had lost a sister and a brother-in-law. However, my mind was constantly thinking of the girls. Every time I went to my mother’s house to see how they were doing I could see their sad faces, mainly Elsa’s. I mean, Anna is too little to really acknowledge what has happened, but Elsa…" She grimaced. "I’m worried about her. She used to be so cheerful and energetic, and now she barely smiles… She’s become so calm and quiet. I find her many times spaced out, as if her mind is somewhere else and not in the present."  
    "Children notice everything. They may not grasp all the details, but they are aware of what is happening. It must be very difficult for her to accept that her parents won’t be here anymore," reflected the older woman.  
    "She keeps asking me if Idun and Agdar died because of her, and every time I answer her that it’s not her fault, that they had an accident. I’m trying to tell her the truth as tactfully as I can, but I’m not sure if it’s doing her any good." Sophie could hear the insecurity in her tone of voice.  
    "You’re doing the right thing, Liv. Don’t keep anything from her. She deserves to hear it." She caressed Anna’s cheek delicately. "She’s very pretty," she murmured.  
    "And a whirlwind," Liv added with a smile. "She likes to talk a lot and to move. If you don’t watch her, she disappears in an instant."  
    "Really? So I’m going to have my hands full, huh?" Sophie joked.  
    "Yes. I think you don’t know what you signed in for."  
    "Believe me, after Hans I can handle any kid," the chestnut hair colored woman assured her friend.


	2. Chapter 2

    During the remaining of that summer, Elsa and Anna stayed under the care of Sophie Westergard. Liv and her husband would usually pick them up right after work in the evenings and then take them back in the mornings, except for the weekends, where they spent all of their time with the girls.  
    The first two weeks of this new arrangement were the most difficult ones. Without talking, Elsa openly showed that she didn't like to be in a house of people she didn't really know. That included Hans' father too, Allan, which both sisters met the first day they were left at the Westergard’s. The majority of those days, always carrying her dear snowman with her, Elsa remained quiet and close to her sister when she was awake. When Anna slept, she mostly stayed on her own. Sometimes she ended up in tears, sobbing that she wanted to go back home to Norway to be with her parents and her Grandma, after which Anna would follow suit and cry too. Every time this happened Sophie felt heartbroken. She tried to console both sisters as best as she could, but in a couple of instances Liv herself had to come from work to calm Elsa down.  
    Hans watched from the distance, feeling impotent, not really knowing what to do. He was used to being the little and cheerful king of the house, the one that always brought a smile out of those around him. But that didn't seem to be working anymore since the Norwegian sisters had arrived. His initial thrill of having breached to the fair girl plummeted very fast after that first meeting. He tried to interact with Elsa like he had done on the sofa of Mrs. Callahan's living room, with little success, for she mostly ignored and avoided him. Sophie noticed his son's helplessness and tried to keep his spirits high:  
    "Keep trying, honey, don't give up. Remember that this isn't an easy situation for them," she encouraged caressing his reddish hair.  
    Liv and Sophie worked together to ease both Elsa and Anna into the new routine. They spoke daily of how the day had gone and strained their minds to make activities that could help the three kids connect between them. It didn't work much at the beginning. At night, when Liv went to tuck in the girls, she almost always found a little wall between her and Elsa. Only on the days when Elsa had the opportunity to talk with her grandmother on the phone did she seem more like herself.  
    "Do you want me to read you a book?" she would ask fondly. However, she always received the same negative answer.  
    "No," would reply the furrowed and rosy lips of the little girl.  
    Seated on the side of the bed, Liv would sigh.  
    "Did you have a good time at the Westergard's today?" she would inquire with hope.  
    "No," Elsa would say in a sullen mood, and after that she would turn on her side with fluffy Olaf between her arms, giving her Aunt her back to dismiss her.  
    Liv unloaded her worries with her husband. She told him she knew Elsa was mad at her for leaving her and Anna with their neighbors. Additionally, she voiced her concern about Elsa wetting her bed at night, something she knew the girl didn't used to do while she lived in Oslo, for Idun had told her during one of the weekly telephone calls they used to share. That only meant it had been triggered by the death of her parents and Liv had no idea how to reverse it.     
    "I'm trying to do the best I can with what we have. I don't know what else to do to content her or to make her feel better," she wept, hurting for her incompetence to make Elsa feel more comfortable with her new home and her new life.  
    “Babe, this isn’t something that will settle in a day or two. It’s normal that she behaves that way and that she wets her bed. She misses her parents the same way you miss your sister. The difference is that she’s too young to understand that no matter how angry or sad she is, her parents won’t return," Greg tried to soothe her. “She doesn’t know yet that the world keeps turning despite our problems and suffering. Give her time, she’ll adapt.” He embraced her pregnant wife. “Everything will be alright, she’ll be fine," he murmured in her ear. "You'll see."

* * *

  
    By the third week, adaptation sank in and everything started to have a sense of normalcy for everyone. Two things helped both girls with the change of lifestyle. The first one was the presence of Cora, the adopted Germand Shepherd dog of the Westerguard family. Elsa and Anna started to spend more and more time with the animal, for it reminded them of the Brittany dog they had had back in Olso, Bestla, which was now living with Uncle Jarle’s family. They played and laughed with Cora like they had done with Bestla in the past, finding a very welcomed support in their new canine friend. The second one was Hans himself. Through observation, the boy found the key to win Elsa over: her own sister. The attention Elsa rejected from him he poured over Anna, which ended up having its reward. The two-year-old ginger haired fell under his spell very quickly. She started to follow him around the house, to ask him to pick her up, and to get on his lap when he sat on the sofa to watch TV or on the floor to play video games. Anna made it her mission to become the center of his attention, since the prize was that Hans played with her and made her have a good time. Hans welcomed her sweet and energetic personality, for he had craved some company after his two older brothers had left for their own vacations with friends that summer. It didn’t take too long for the first word to come out of Anna’s mouth the moment she entered the Westergard house every morning to be ‘Hans’.  
    Elsa felt Anna’s abandonment and behavior as a betrayal and it pained her. She would see and hear her sister smiling and laughing out loud with Hans, which only made her want to isolate herself more. However, she wasn’t aware of who her little opponent was. Hans noticed Elsa’s coldness and serious faces every time Anna was with him. Therefore, he decided to change his tactic and use Anna as a link between them. If there was one thing Hans had learned fast enough it was that Anna loved Elsa dearly, and vice versa, so he took advantage of it.  
    At opposite sites of the living room’s floor, the two red heads on one side and Elsa on the other, Hans kept trying to bring the blonde girl closer, just like her mother had encouraged him to do.  
    “Elsa, your sister says if you want to play with us, right Anna?” he would ask the toddler right next to him.  
    “Yes,” Anna would answer in her bubbly baby language while playing with her toys.  
    Hans would exchange a hopeful look with Elsa across the room, but in return he would only get a cold shoulder.  
    “Anna, go play with your sister. I’ll play with you later,” he would whisper to the merry little girl.  
    The two-year-old infant would usually listen to him and go play with her elder sister. This normally cheered Elsa up and made her more approachable. Hans tried this plan several times, sensing he was getting closer to his objective, for Elsa’s looks weren’t so hard or angry anymore. However, to his surprise, one day Anna finally achieved easily what he couldn't have done on his own.  
    Lying face down one afternoon over the house's front lawn, holding his weight on his elbows, Anna sitting next to him, Hans murmured:  
    "Don't you want your sister to play with us too? Tell her to come play with us." From his position, he could see Elsa seated on the porch steps, talking and playing with Olaf and another teddy she had brought with her that day.  
    "Elsa, come play with us," the freckled toddler babbled turning her head to look at her. For the first time that summer, Elsa truly ignored her younger sister, acting as if she hadn't heard her. Anna tried a couple more times with some joyful "Elsa come!", followed by a worried "Elsa?" when she didn't get any response. Instantly, her beautiful chubby face wrinkled as she started to cry her sister's name. Hans opened his vibrant green eyes wide, struck with fear for a moment; he didn't want to get in trouble. He knew it wouldn't take long for her mother to come out if the toddler kept sobbing that loud. He got on his knees and tried to console Anna to no avail.  
    The moment Elsa heard her sister crying, she dropped her soft toys on the ground and went running to her. Hans moved away when she got on her knees and hugged her sister strongly. "I'm here, Anna, I'm here," she whispered to her reassuringly, kissing her soft hair.  
    Suddenly, the tears disappeared as fast as they had come and Anna smiled brightly returning her sister's embrace with one arm and extending the other one towards Hans. "Play with us?" she said looking up with shining blue eyes.  
    Both Hans and Elsa realized what had happened. _Crocodile tears_ , the boy thought impressed. He took Anna's small hand and shared a look with the fair girl.  
    "She knows how to get what she wants," he mentioned warily, although with a hint of a smile on his thin lips.  
    "So do you," she answered with her chin on top of Anna's head, showing also a small smile and a look too smart for her age on her azure eyes.

* * *

  
    A couple of days later, while preparing lunch, Sophie Westergard heard a burst of childish and melodic laugh unrecognizable to her, followed by the cackles and giggles of Hans and Anna. Smiling to herself, she went out of the kitchen cleaning her hands on a dish towel and spied on the kids, who were playing in the living room. Indeed, the three of them were having a good time together, specially Elsa, who seemed to not be able to stop laughing. _Wait until I tell Liv_ , she thought with glee. An idea came to her. Going back to the kitchen, she put the frying pan with the onion that was cooking aside for a moment and then went to her bedroom to get the camera. She appeared in the family room when another fit of laughter was taking place.  
    "Kids, look at me!" she called. Hans, Elsa and Anna turned their heads still smiling.  
_Click!_  
    The sunny light that entered through the windows bathed their young and happy faces, capturing the sparkle of their eyes. That photograph became the first proof of their recent started friendship and it marked the beginning of a journey that would last for many years into the future.

* * *

  
_That weekend_      
  
    "Do we have everything?" Liv asked in the entrance hall holding Anna in her arms, ready to go. The main door was open since someone had already sneaked out.  
    "Yes, I think we do," Greg replied, checking his pockets and grabbing the stroller and the keys.  
    Once outside, they saw Elsa chit-chatting with Hans on the following driveway, little plush Olaf hanging from her hand. Sophie and Allan were also there, near their grey SUV, the woman holding Cora by a leash. Both families, dressed nicely for the occasion, greeted amiably for a couple of minutes until they decided to leave.  
    “I’ll follow you,” Greg told Allan before getting on the car.  
    Looking out the opened window while they drove to the city, the air playing with her hair and the sun still high on the horizon, Liv felt excited for the evening. It was going to be the first special family experience since Elsa and Anna had arrive to Chicago and, if that wasn't already good news, it was also going to be shared with the Westergards. She looked in the wing mirror and saw Anna’s reflection, seated in her baby car seat in the back, singing to the tune that was playing on the radio. She smiled. Things hadn’t been easy since the return from Oslo. Going back to work had been stressful, for she had had to catch up on a lot of projects, and economically, they had had to spend more money than expected for things Elsa and Anna needed. That wasn’t without including the emotional part. Every time she thought of her beloved sister her heart shrunk and a knot tied on her throat. Why had destiny been so cruel? She thought of the girls and of everything they had gone through and the only idea that crossed her mind was that she had to be strong for them. She was going to do everything in her power to make Idun and Agdar proud, wherever they souls were.  
    “Aunt, were are we going?” asked Elsa from the back, interrupting her thoughts.  
    Liv turned to see her and admired how pretty she was in her green and yellow summer dress. “It’s a surprise, honey. I know you’ll like it.”  
    Elsa smiled and continued looking to the skyline of buildings that kept getting nearer and nearer.  
    Greg and Allan parked the cars in a garage. Hans already knew where they were going, but for the sake of the sisters, specially Elsa, he remained quiet. However, he couldn’t hide his excitement for the evening ahead, jumping and asking his mother in whispers, with Cora smelling him and moving her tail happily, if they would do this and that. Both families went outside to the ground floor and started to walk towards the destination.  
    Anna was seated on the stroller driven by Greg while Elsa went by the hand of her Aunt. The adults talked animatedly, discussing some of the day’s news and the good weather they had had lately. At some point, Elsa pulled from Liv’s hand and pointed to a place in the distance.  
    “Look!” she exclaimed with enthusiasm.  
    Liv watched in the direction the little girl had signaled. “What is that, honey?” she asked her with affection.  
    “A wheel, a big wheel!” she exclaimed still not believing her eyes.  
    “That’s where we’re going, sweetie, the Navy Pier”, Liv replied with a big smile on her face seeing her reaction.  
    “Really?” The amazement was evident in her candid voice  
    “Yes. I told you, it was a surprise,” her Aunt reassured winking at her.  
    “It’s one of Chicago’s most visited places,” mentioned Greg adoring her lit and innocent expression, “and it has a lot of entertaining things to do.”  
    Hans, that had been walking between his parents, got closer when he notice the surprise was out.  
    “You’ll love it, Elsa, it’s very fun!” he uttered capturing her attention.  
    “Is it like the TusenFryd?” she asked him.  
    “TusenFryd?” he repeated not understanding, gazing up to Liv for translation, starting to be accustomed to Elsa speaking foreign words.  
    “It’s the amusement park in Oslo,” she clarified to him. “It’s not exactly an amusement park, honey,” she said to Elsa, “it’s a combination of a lot of super cool things. Are you ready to have some fun?”  
    “Yes!” Elsa shouted giving a small jump, mini Olaf jumping with her.  
    “Yes!” Anna repeated from the stroller, infected by the joy of her elder sister.  
  
    When they reached the main entrance, Sophie and Liv stopped Hans and Elsa for a moment.   
    "I want you two to listen to us carefully," Sophie started. "There's going to be a lot people here today and we don't want you to get lost."  
    "That's right," continued Liv, making both kids turn their heads as if they were watching a tennis match. "We know you'll want to do and see many things this evening, which is okay, but please, do it together."  
    "Always give the hand to the other, alright?" the older woman highlighted.  
    The children nodded and a small pause took place.  
    Liv bit her lip somewhat unsure of if her niece had really understood what they were asking, her being the youngest one. “Elsa, what has Sophie just said?”  
    The girl looked timidly to Hans’ mother and then stepper closer to the boy, taking his hand. She felt Hans grabbing her small hand better.  
    "That's it, dear, very good," Sophie said with an approving smile.  
    Her Aunt crouched in front her and put some rebel blonde locks behind the ear. "Yes, honey, always stick close to Hans or to us.”  
    A couple minutes later, while crossing the red metallic banner that announced the access to the pier, the Callahan's ahead of them, Sophie put an arm over his son's shoulders.  
    "I know it won't happen, but just in case, this entrance will be our meeting point if you get lost. I will look for you here, okay?”  
    "Yes, Mom," Hans answered in a resigned tone. Still, he knew why she worried. Seven months earlier he had gotten lost while doing Christmas shopping with his two older brothers in a mall. He had panicked at the beginning, the idea of being alone in a sea of people strolling up and down the decorated and lighted aisles choking and making him very nervous. He wandered on his own for what seemed an eternity, his brothers nowhere in sight. Fortunately, after some time, he had the cold blood to calm down and analyze his situation. He looked for an adult that could help him and after almost half an hour reunited with his brothers, who embraced him in strong bear hugs, scolding and kissing him at the same time.  
    "Good, baby," said Sophie squeezing once before releasing him.  
    "Don't call me that," the boy complained with a grimace. "I'm not a baby anymore, I'm going to be seven pretty soon. Anna's a baby," he pointed out.  
    "You'll always be my baby, son, the same way your brothers are," the mother confessed tenderly.  
    "You don't call them that," Hans snorted.  
    "I do sometimes... I can't help myself."  
    The auburn haired kid snorted again, shaking his head.  
    "Anyways, look out for Elsa this evening. Take care of her the same way Vincent and Sebastian take care of you," she said referring to her seventeen and fifteen-year-old sons. "You are the big brother now and Elsa and Anna are like your little sisters."  
    "I know, Mom. Don’t worry about it,” Hans appeased before approaching his father when he suggested going to the museum.  
  
    The kids had a blast that day. They started going to the Children's Museum, a three-story high building full of interactive and educational exhibits that was part of the Navy Pier. The men were the ones to accompany them, while the women went for a walk outside with Cora, enjoying the summer breeze and the views of Lake Michigan. Hans, Elsa and Anna dug for bones in a real scale dinosaur expedition, made a big splash in a squirting, pumping water playground where they put on raincoats (though that didn't stop them from getting wet), built different kinds of structures using wooden struts, real tools and authentic gear with the help of Greg and Allan; and painted, printed, sketched and sculpted in a large art studio and gallery, letting out their creative streaks. Hans and Elsa even climbed a four-story schooner, from cargo hold to crow's nest, he always helping her when she got behind. By the time they left the museum to reunite with Sophie and Liv, more than two hours and a half later, the little ones couldn't stop talking about all the things they had done.  
    Next they went to have dinner at an outside food court, where Cora was allowed. They ate and drank happily, the men telling hilarious anecdotes of what happened inside the museum. Hans and Elsa tried to correct their versions of the stories between jokes and laughs, while Anna, for once, observed contently from her baby booster seat. When the desserts were served, Sophie got an incoming call from his eldest son. She talked to him for some time, asking him how was his vacation going, if he was having a good time and what were his plans for the night. Then, she passed the cell phone to Hans. "Your brother Vincent, he wants to talk to you."  
    Hans talked to him for awhile, telling him of his day so far. Both Vicent and Sebastian had already been put up to date by their mother about the arrival of the Norwegian girls and of the tragic reasons of why they were now living in Chicago. They both knew that the girls were spending most of that summer at their house and that Hans was enjoying their company enormously. "You and Sebastian are already history," had jested Sophie to his first-born son regarding Elsa and Anna's sudden importance in Hans' life.  
    Hans ended up passing the mobile to his father so his older brother could talk to him. Elsa noticed that Allan started to speak in a different language, one she felt she was familiar with but that she couldn’t really understand.  
    "What is he speaking in?" she asked the boy seated across from her.  
    "Danish," he answered savoring his chocolate cake. "He always talks to my brothers and me in that language."  
    "Why?" Elsa wanted to know.  
    "Because my father was born in Denmark and he wants us to learn it, and because he says it will be helpful for us in the future," he explained. "It's the same thing as you and your Aunt talking in Norwegian."  
    "Oh, okay," the fair skinned girl said satisfied with his reply, licking the chocolate bits from her lips after the last bite. "And where is Denmark?"  
    "In Europe, not far from Norway. I've never been there, but my brothers have."  
    Elsa's face saddened abruptly. "I want to go back to Norway," she confessed leaving her spoon on the table, not hungry anymore.  
    Liv, who was seated at Elsa’s left side and who had been discretely listening to the conversation expected the worst after the mention of the girl’s home country. Still, she decided to not intervene yet, hoping it wouldn’t be needed.  
    "Why?" he inquired tactfully and a little bit hurt by the fact that she still wanted to leave.  
    "Because I miss Momma and Poppa," she said with her eyes starting to dampen, hugging teddy Olaf in her lap.  
    When Hans saw the mournful look in her large and bright eyes he immediately stood up, dropping his spoon on the plate and screeching his chair on the floor. He went around the table to her side and put an arm over her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Elsa. I didn’t want you to get sad,” he apologized slowly. Many days had passed since the last time she had cried and he didn’t want her to start now for his fault. “I know you miss them, but they're not in Oslo anymore.” He saw a single tear run down her cheek and he was fast to erase it. “Hey, you know how you’re always there for Anna, to help and support her?” he whispered trying to make her think in something else. Elsa nodded, looking at Anna for a couple of seconds, seeing how Greg was playing with her. “Well, I’m here for you… if you need me.”  
    “Are you serious?” she said weakly turning her head to gaze up at him.  
    “Of course,” he replied tightening his embrace on her. Elsa leaned into him and magically, the unshed tears disappeared.    
    Sophie, who had silently caught up with what was happening, exchanged an euphoric look with Liv. She was so proud of her _baby_.  
    “Do you want to go see more things?” Hans suggested. Elsa nodded and got down from her chair.  
    The boy asked for permission for them to go play on the side walk.  
    “Fine, but be careful,” his mother allowed. “Remember what we told you earlier.”  
    “Don’t go too far, always where we can see you,” Liv added.  
    Hans grabbed Elsa’s hand and the two of them went to investigate what was out there. It wasn’t after several minutes later that Liv noticed fluffy Olaf had been left behind on the empty chair.  
      
    After dinner, both families went to play at the 18-hole mini-golf, an attraction of the Pier Park located on an outdoor landscaped area next to the Crystal Gardens, the beautiful indoor botanical garden where Liv and Sophie had been earlier while walking with Cora. The Westergard’s played against the Callahan’s, both teams trying to make each hole with the less number of strokes. Elsa and Anna jumped full of jubilation every time they were able to put the ball inside the hole. The Westergard’s were the winners at the end, although no one really cared, for Hans and Elsa went running to the next attraction with eagerness. The Carousel, the remote controlled boats, the Light Tower Ride. Hans didn’t stop at anything, like in the museum, and Elsa simply followed him. She wasn’t able to get on the Wave Swinger due to her height, so instead she just waved to him from the floor while he spun up high in the color changing sky. The Ferris wheel was left for last. Sophie, Liv and Anna got up on one gondola, while Allan and Greg got up in another one with Hans and Elsa. The seven minute ride gave them enough time to enjoy the views as they gained altitude. Allan and Greg pointed out to the kids some of the tallest and most charismatic buildings of the Windy City, like the black colored and crowned by two antennas John Hancock Center, the tinted glass exterior with a curvy form of Lake Point Tower or the white granite squared structure of the AON Center.  
    “This is now your city, dear,” Greg told Elsa while she admired the skyline through the protection glass of the gondola.  
    “And what happens with Oslo?” she asked, afraid to forget the place that had seen her come to the world.  
    “Oslo will always be your city, Elsa, but now you also have Chicago,” he answered caressing her hair sweetly.  
    “Chicago…” she repeated to herself in a state of wonder looking again at the majestic picture that the skyscrapers presented.  
  
    The final attraction of the night was a shoreline cruise over Lake Michigan. The two families got on and seated down, relaxing after all the activities of the evening. They reveled in the sound of the water nearby, the nice temperature and the last minutes of the sunset. Little by little, the darkening of the sky gave notoriety to the lights of the buildings and the city on the horizon, offering a spectacular sight. However, said sight was surpassed once the fireworks display of the Navy Pier started. Elsa opened her mouth impressed by the deafening noise, the beautiful colors and the sparkling shapes that flooded the firmament in front of her, not wanting to close her eyes in case she missed anything. It reminded her of the snowflake fireworks her beloved Snow Queen performed in the film Frozen. And then, when it was over, the intense cheers, the long applause, the joyful shoutings and roars of the people everywhere wrapped around her like in a dream.  
    “Happy fourth of July, Elsa!” Hans shouted at her with a beaming smile while his father kissed him on the head.  
    She smiled broadly, feeling all the energy and the emotion of that unique instant inside of her little body. “Happy fourth of July, Hans!” she yelled in return extending her hand to him. They never got to touch, because Liv picked her up to hug and sink her in a sea of kisses, but the connection between them was there, floating, in a state of readiness, about to start growing exponentially one day after another.


	3. Chapter 3

    The following Friday afternoon, after Liv got out from work and went home to change clothes, she and Sophie took the kids and Cora to a big park that was at a five-minute driving distance. The place had from an area for small children up to open basketball and soccer courts and a skate rink. A wide and green clearing, used by college students and families to play football, rugby or Frisbee or to simply sit down to talk calmly and enjoy the sun, separated the zones used by the little ones and the grown-ups.  
    Hans got out from the car swiftly and went straight to the nearest bench to sit down. He took off his shoes and opened the backpack he had carried with him. When the women and the girls, together with the German Shepherd, got to where he was he already had his wrist, elbow and knee pads on together with his rollerblades. Only the helmet was missing, which he briskly put on and clasped.   
        "Mom, I'm going, okay?" he said with a sense of urgency, adjusting one of his wrist pads better.    
        "Alright, but be careful," her mother advised, after which he flew, skating away.   
        "Where is he going?" Elsa asked with interest following his shrinking figure with her eyes.   
        "To the skate park," Sophie replied grabbing the boy’s backpack and Elsa’s little hand, joining Liv and Anna on the side walk. They all started to walk in the opposite direction.    
        They arrived to the children’s playground and found a sitting spot.  
        "Look what I brought you girls” Liv said searching in her purse.  
        She took out two small bottles of soap bubbles, giving them to her nieces. Their rubicund faces lit, and without delay, they opened the toys and started to play, blowing hundreds of rainbow colored spheres around them. The bubbles floated away, shining with the sun-rays, attracting the attention of other kids who came by to play too. Watching the girls enjoy themselves, the two women interacted with other parents who approached them after the impromptu bubble circus.  
        Once the emotion for the soap bubbles died down, Liv and Sophie sat down again, with Cora by their side, while Anna and Elsa went into the playground.  
        "I see Hans is still crazy about skating," Liv mentioned with an eye on the red haired and freckled toddler, to make sure she didn’t hurt herself.   
        "Yes, and it doesn't seem like this frenzy is going to go away any time soon," Sophie answered looking away, to where the skate park was. She couldn't spot her son from that distance, but knew he was having fun out there. "I think he's keen on following his brother's steps."  
        "I guess that means having another long-term ice hockey player in the family," the younger woman said with a smile. Liv knew that Sophie's fifteen-year old son, Sebastian, had been playing ice hockey for a long time now and that currently he was competing at a high-school level.  
        "Yes," she voiced somewhat resigned. "I thought when we enrolled him in the school team two years ago that he would get tired of it, like it happened with Vincent," she said referring to her eldest son. "But it only fueled his love for the sport…” After a sigh she continued. “You don't know how many times he's asked me during the last few weeks to take him to the ice rink or to bring him here just to skate and play. Normally Sebastian and him come here together, but with Seb being away I've been more reticent to do it. Sometimes I wish he would follow Vincent's choice of sport. Basketball, to some extent, is less risky than inline skating and ice hockey." Having Cora seated between her legs, Sophie caressed her behind the ears.   
        "You can't blame him for wanting to emulate his brother. I used to do the same with Idun when I was younger. Everything she got into I also wanted to try," Liv said waving a hand to her five-year-old niece, who was playing on the swing. It was still hard to talk of her sister out loud without crumbling inside, but doing so kept her memory alive, as painful as it sometimes was. "I see it everyday with Anna and Elsa."  
        "Yes, I know. It's just that I worry. Sebastian has scared us many times with bad blows and falls, to the point of breaking bones, and I don't want to go through the same with Hans, although I know it is inevitable. Of my three boys, he's the most persistent one, so it's not as if I can do much, specially when his father encourages him."  
    "Allan's into skating and ice hockey then?" Liv asked.   
    "God yes, he's the one that started it all," Sophie said with an amusing snort. Seeing her friend's surprised expression she proceeded to explain. "Remember that I told you how we met?"  
        The  light brunette woman nodded. "Yes, while you were on vacation with your family in Copenhagen one summer. He ran you over with his bike," she replied with a mischievous smile. Liv recalled how entranced she had been after hearing Sophie and Allan's beautiful love story one night over dinner at the Westergard’s.  
        "Right. Well, by the time we met he had already given it up, but he had been an ice hockey player for most of his youth up until college. His intention was to become professional, but a serious knee injury truncated his plans. He focused on his financial career from then on, but the thorn remained stuck.”  
        "Wow, I didn't know this about him..." Liv said astonished.  
        "Allan doesn't like to talk much about it. You know, it was his frustrated dream." Sophie kept petting her dog, kissing her several times on the head.   
        "I understand... But he must be very happy now that two of his boys are playing the sport he loves."   
        "Of course," Sophie agreed. "You should see him at the boys' games. He lives it through them. Both Seb and Hans feed from his support and euphoria, specially Hans. He can't wait for the season to start, not only because he wants his father to watch him play, but because we didn't send him to hockey camp this summer. He's eager to get back on the ice."  
        "Why didn't you?" Liv asked getting the water bottle out of her tote bag.   
        "Because he got lazy with his studies and didn't get good grades at school this year. We warned him it would have consequences if he didn't make an effort, and well... it did." Sophie shook her head remembering what had happened. "He had the biggest tantrum of the year, crying and yelling that he was going to go to hockey camp yes or yes. His face got so red that it seemed it was going to explode any second."  
        "Geeez, that's hard to imagine," Liv said chuckling, taking a sip from the bottle, "Hans' always so cheerful and charming."  
        "Oh, but when he gets angry, he gets really angry, like his father," Sophie stated. "And you know what the worst of it is? That we know he's very capable of getting the grades we ask of him. With Vincent we've never had a problem, he's always been a very good student, responsible and with his feet on the ground. Sebastian, on the contrary, is another story. We've always had to be on top of him because he's a restless and fun-lover kid. Hans, curiously enough, is a combination of the two of them. He has the head and the sound judgement of his eldest brother and the energy and rebel streak of the middle one."   
        "Then you'll only have to worry half with him," Liv joked, making her friend laugh out loud.   
        "I can only pray for that to be true," said Sophie with a smile still on her lips. She focused her gaze on her friend's blonde little niece, now playing in the monkey bars area. "Elsa is doing a little bit better, don't you think?"  
        Liv looked in the same direction. "Yes, thank goodness. She is not as withdrawn as in the beginning, when we got here. I think being with all of you is helping her a lot. Hans definitely knows how to bring her open and loving nature out. When I see her with him I see the Elsa I saw back in Oslo when I went to visit."  
        "That's good. We'll let Hans continue working his magic then," voiced Sophie with a warm smile that couldn't hide how glad she was of his son's chemistry with Elsa. "She and Anna are helping him too, you know. Being the little one of the house has always made him the pampered boy. Now with the girls around he's not the center of attention anymore. He's learning to care for those younger than him, to be patient with Anna, who follows him all the time, and to share his things with them. All in all, I think this has been a good solution for everyone, me included.”  
        “What do you mean?”  
        A timid smile graced Sophie’s mouth, something very unusual in her, for she was always very bold. “I hope Idun and Agdar can forgive me for saying this, but I always wanted to have a girl, and it’s a dream that in a way has come true by having Elsa and Anna here. The two of them are adorable. Despite what has happened to them they behave very well and I’m starting to be very fond of them. I’m thankful that you trusted me to take care of them.”  
        Liv put a hand on her friend’s forearm, touched by her words. “I’m the one who should be thanking you. I seriously don’t know how I’ll be able to return the favor.”  
        Sophie took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You know you don’t have to," she said sharing a trustworthy look and a small smile with her friend.   
        Suddenly, Elsa appeared in front of them. “Aunt, can I have some water, please?” Little by little, she was starting to speak in English when there were other persons around. However, she still continued to talk in Norwegian to her Aunt privately, something Liv liked and encouraged, for she didn’t want her niece to lose her native language.   
        Liv took the water bottle out again and gave it to her niece. “Are you having fun, baby?”  
        The little girl nodded while she drank. A couple of seconds later, Anna appeared behind her sister and asked for water too.   
        “Elsa, in a little while I’m going to go see Hans. Do you want to come with me?” Sophie asked her.   
        Elsa nodded once more, gave Cora a kiss on the head and then went to play again.   
        “I still worry a lot about her,” Liv said closing the water bottle after Anna had drunk, her gaze lingering on Elsa. “She’s doing better, but she’s not fine.”  
        “I know.” The older woman also observed the fair girl, her beautiful platinum-golden locks shining under the sun.   
        “Look at her, she doesn’t socialize with other kids like Anna does, she just plays on her own.” Indeed, Elsa was playing again with the monkey bars, alone. “She still keeps wetting her bed, as I told you, and now she has started having nightmares.”  
        “Really?” Sophie’s honey colored eyes widened by the news.   
        “Yes. She wakes up in the middle of the night crying, asking for her parents. Sometimes it takes me a lot of time to make her fall asleep again.”  
        Sophie saddened at the idea that Elsa was still suffering so much by the death of her parents, although she knew it was normal. A determined look appeared on her face. “Don’t worry, we’ll all keep taking care of her and Anna and we’ll help them get through this.” She studied Elsa some more time, watching her climb the metal bars, and then turned her head to look at Liv with interest. "Now tell me about your pregnancy. How are you feeling?"

* * *

  
    His blood started to pump in a different way every time he got his rollerblades on. The sensation was more intense when he got on the ice, but today he was content with the opportunity of being able to roll on the concrete after so long. He left his mother and the Callahan girls behind, intent on getting to the rink. When he arrived he met some of Sebastian’s friends from the neighborhood.   
        "Hey Hans! Good to see you man," greeted Andrew waving a hand to him, dressed with an ample yellow t-shirt and baggy knee-length shorts. He had short dark hair, light brown eyes and a very easygoing personality. Hans approached him and the rest of the young boys, near the edge of the skate bowl, greeting everyone with high-fives and movements of the chin. In return he felt friendly hands on his helmet and on his shoulders. “We haven't seen you in a long time. Where have you been?"   
        "I know. My mother's fault. You know her, she doesn't like me coming here. She thinks this is dangerous and with Seb being away..." he explained taking a glance at the other skaters that were in the park. He recognized two kids his age that he knew and waved at them too.   
        "When does your brother come back?" a guy named Kevin asked. He was also wearing comfortable clothes, but instead of inline skates he had a skateboard under his feet. A blonde surfer mane graced his head, topped by a hat put on backwards.   
        "In a couple of weeks I think," he answered.  
        "Do you still remember how to use those?" Andrew mocked healthily pointing at the redhead's rollerblades.   
        Hans smirked, undeterred by the constant jokes, bluffings and challenges his brother’s friends threw. "Let me warm up and I'll show you."  
        Some of the adolescents hollered after his cocky reply, smiling and jesting about how the almost seven-year-old boy was going to end up giving them classes on how to skate for real.  
        Despite how reckless Sebastian was sometimes, he had instilled in his little brother the importance of warming up before doing any crazy tricks. He had learned the hard way after several injuries and, although Hans still enjoyed the advantages of being a kid, flexibility and a quick recovery between them, he didn't want him to get hurt (if only to avoid his mother's worry and reprimand). It was because of that reason that Hans started to take some laps around the flow part of the skatepark, testing his legs and his balance, feeling how his body was remembering the movements he had made so many times before. Skating backwards, taking long strides, trying different types of turns, using the fun-box and the quarter pipes that were around. Gradually, he increased the intensity and the difficulty of the moves, his muscles heating up.   
        His first memory of skating was of Vincent and Sebastian teaching him in that very same place when he was around three or four years old. They had picked him up the many times he had fallen, when his coordination had still been shaky, and had also applauded him when he had achieved every small step that now allowed him to skate with skill and confidence. He loved to feel the wind on his face, to hear the roar of his heartbeats when the adrenaline pumped in, to unleash his creativity both on the ground and on the air when he jumped, to amaze himself when he was able to maneuver a very difficult move. But above all he loved the fun and the freedom it brought him. And still, there was one thing that beat it all: ice hockey.   
        He couldn't exactly pinpoint when he had sold his heart to that sport, but knew it was something magical for him. The sensations it awakened in him plus the fact that it was something he really bounded over with his brothers and his father made it something very special. He couldn't wait to get the stick and the puck to practice, to feel the cooler air of the rink, to see his teammates and his coach, and to compete and win games.    
        When he finished warming up, he went back to the place where Sebastian's friends were hanging out.   
        "Okay, I'm ready," he said nearing the edge of the skate pool. He looked backwards to Andrew, sticking out his tongue. "I'm going to show you how it's done."

* * *

  
    After a while, Sophie ended up calling Elsa to go watch Hans. Holding Cora by the leash with one hand and the girl's small hand with the other, they went walking calmly on the marked path.   
        "Have you ever skated before, Elsa?" the woman asked.   
        "Yes, several times, on ice," she answered observing the surroundings of the great green clearing, mainly leafy trees and single family houses like the one she was now living in. That sunny day from the middle of July brought out the colors of everything more vividly, like an enhanced photograph from a magazine, and Elsa couldn't stop looking everywhere. She liked the good weather. Summer in Chicago was definitely hotter than in Oslo, and she had even noticed that the light from the sun there was also different than in her home town.   
    "Really? And you liked it?"  
    She nodded, smiling, turning her head to the adult. "Do you like to stake, Mrs. Westergard?"   
    "Gosh no! Not only am I very bad at it but I already have enough skaters in the family," the woman exclaimed with a funny expression. She stopped walking, making both the girl and the dog stop too.  
    Elsa looked up, wondering what had happened. She found Hans' mother looking back at her.   
        "You already know you can call me Sophie. No need to be so formal."  
        Elsa thought for a moment, confused. "But Aunt Liv says we have to be respectful."  
    Sophie smiled sweetly, crouching on her toes to be at Elsa's eye level. "And she's right, but this is a special case. We are neighbors after all and we are seeing each other almost every day, right?" The girl nodded again. "You can call me Sophie, honey. We're going to be almost like family."  
        "O-ok," Elsa answered still with doubts and a little bit flustered by the attention.  
        The woman stood up and resumed the stroll. "Do you know that Sebastian and Hans love to skate? They also love ice hockey. Do you know that sport?"   
        Elsa shook her head. "No."  
        "It's okay. I'll take you to one of their games. I think you'll like it."  
        They kept talking and walking until they arrived to the skate park. Sophie almost wished to close her eyes and turn around. Her youngest son was skating at top speed in the bowl, grabbing his rollerblades with the hands each time he jumped off the edges as well as grinding on them while everyone around look on his prowess.   
        "Hi, Mrs Westergard!" greeted some of Sebastian's friends.   
        "Hey boys!" she answered waving back. She knew them from the times Sebastian had brought them home.   
    "Your son is a monster, mam!" Kevin yelled excitedly pointing to the redhead kid who was killing it on the curved cement.   
    Sophie tried to hide her worry behind an unconvinced smile. "Yes, I can see that."  
    Hans ability was such that he was able to end the jumps skating backwards, which together with the tricks he was able to pull off, earned him the cheers and applauses of the boys and the teenagers watching him. Andrew, from the distance, sensed the mother's uneasiness. "Don't worry, Mrs. Westergard, we're looking over him," he tried to reassure her.  
    "Yeah right..." Sophie mumbled under her breath, her heart clenched by the fear of his son getting badly hurt. This was why she preferred not to see what Sebastian and Hans came to do here. Just one wrong move or turn and her baby could end up seriously injured, as it had already happened with Seb in the past.  
        When Hans noticed her mother was there, he gradually reduced the speed and ended the exhibition, to the spectators' regret. He skated towards them and greeted them both with a big smile, touching Cora's snout with his hand.   
    "Did you see me Mom?" he asked hopeful, waiting for her approval.   
    It was in moments like that one, when she was witness of her son's happiness at practicing such an extreme sport, that Sophie remembered why she didn't prohibit it to him. There was nothing like seeing his bright expression, full of joy and an energy she thought only the ones that really skated could really understand. "I did, honey. You did very good," she answered returning his smile and touching his shoulder. "But please, be very careful. I don't want you to hurt yourself."   
    "I'm being careful, Mom, don't worry."  
    "Aren't you scared?" Elsa inquired with her childish sweet voice, gaining their attention. She was still holding Sophie's hand and was looking at Hans with a combination of awe and admiration. It had impressed her a lot to see him skating so boldly and with such control.  
    "Of what?" he said.   
    "Of falling down."  
    "Naah..." he shook his head. "If I were afraid of falling I wouldn't even try jumping or grinding. You just need to practice and to fall many times. That's how you get comfortable,” he answered sure of himself.   
    “I’ve skated several times on ice," she told him, “with my parents,” she added. “It was fun.”  
    For a moment, Sophie and Hans were left perplexed, looking at each other once. It was the first time they heard her talk of her parents without tears on her face.   
    "Really?" Hans said rapidly to disguise their surprise. A flame of excitement appeared on his eyes at the mere mention of ice skating, for it reminded him of his beloved hockey. "Then you have to come here with us and skate. You'll love it,” he assured her.   
    "But I don't have rollerblades,” Elsa said sadly.   
    “I’m sure your Aunt will buy you a pair,” Hans answered not worried.   
    “Why do I have a feeling that this will get me into trouble?” Sophie asked rhetorically, her free hand going to her forehead. Both kids looked up at her not understanding, but half an hour later, when they returned to the children’s playground, sure enough, Elsa asked what was expected:  
    “Aunt, can you buy me a pair of rollerblades, please?”


End file.
